Swimming pool

ABSTRACT

A swimming pool is constructed from a tank having sidewalls supported against the outwardly acting water pressure only by engagement along their upper edges with a surrounding platform braced along its outer circumference against a peripheral sill or set of posts sunk into the soil at a distance from the basin. The space between the sidewalls of the basin and the peripheral support means is largely empty and accommodates water supply ducts as well as troughs to catch the overflow spilling across the platform; when provided with a fluidtight bottom lining, this space can also serve for the temporary storage of excess pool water.

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United States Patent Linecker 1 SWIMMING POOL [72] lnventor: Josef Linecker, Rosengasse 5, A5230 Mattighofen, Austria [22] Filed: Jan. 20, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 4,290

592,738 lO/l897 Judson ....52 169 x 51 May 2,1972

Primary Examiner-Henry K. Artis Att0rneyKarl F. Ross 57 ABSTRACT A swimming pool is constructed from a tank having sidewalls supported against theoutwardly acting water pressure only by engagement along their upper edges with a surrounding platform braced along its outer circumference against a peripheral sill or set of posts sunk into the soil at a distance from the basin. The space between the sidewalls of the basin and the peripheral support means is largely empty and accommodates water supply ducts as well as troughs to catch'the overflow spilling across the platform; when provided with a fluidtight bottom lining, this space can also serve for the temporary storage of excess pool water.

8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 2 I972 SHEET 10F 3 Josef Linecker INVENTOR.

Attorn Y SWIMMING POOL The present invention relates to a swimming pool of the type wherein prefabricated construction elements are sunk into the ground which is suitably excavated for this purpose.

In conventional swimming pool construction a basin or tank is erected within the excavation whereupon mud or loose earth is deposited around its sidewalls to support them against outwardly directed water pressure. This loose or muddy soil must not be compacted since this would tend to stave in the tank walls. As a result, the mass surrounding the tank settles in the course of time and creates voids which, if not promptly filled, weaken the support given to the tank walls. The need for constantly observing and occasionally replenishing the soil surrounding the tank, at least during an initial period following installation, prevents the permanent emplacement of concrete slabs, metal plates or similar construction elements at the level of the upper tank edges to form a walkway around the pool.

The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved swimming pool construction avoiding the aforestated disadvantages.

This object is realized, pursuant to the present invention, by the provision of bracing means spacedly surrounding the tank whose sidewalls, rising from a foundation which rests on the bottom of an excavation in the soil, are steadied against outward deformation by an encircling platform which, lying substantially at the level of the upper edges of the sidewalls, bear inwardly upon these upper edges and outwardly upon the surrounding bracing means, the latter being sunk in the soil along the periphery of the excavation.

The bracing means surrounding the tank may be a continuous sunken sill, e.g. of concrete, or a set of peripherally spaced metal or concrete posts; the latter construction is preferred where the pool is erected on a slope or in relatively soft soil 7 requiring the bracing means to be deeply embedded for the sake of stability. The elements constituting the tank and the platform may also consist of diverse materials, such as concrete or metal.

. With a construction according to the invention, there is no need for filling the space around the tank walls with soil or any other mass. This space, therefore, can be left largely empty and can be utilized for a variety of purposes, as to accommodate ducts for the filling and draining of the tank or troughs to receive the backwash of overflowing water as well as precipitation from the upper surface of the platform. This upper surface is advantageously inclined in the vicinity of the sidewalls to slope downwardly toward the tank, terminating just short of an upstanding lip'of an apron interposed between the sidewalls and the platform to guide overflowing water into a trough.

Gaps formed between the contacting edges of the tank walls or the apron and the platform, e.g. by means of crenellations or inserted spacers, enable water to run off into the troughs for discharge to a drain connected thereto.

Generally, the peripheral space around the tank will have a roughly triangular profile, being bounded at the bottom by a floor rising from substantially the level of the tank foundation to the top of the surrounding bracing sill or set of posts. This floor may be constituted by the bare soil but may also be made fluidtight by deposition of a layer of concrete or the like on that soil, thereby enabling the substantially empty space around the tank to be used as an ancillary receptacle into which water may be pumped or allowed to flow from the tank if it is desired to lower the water level temporarily, e.g. to facilitate a search for lost objects; the water stored in the surrounding space can then be returned to the tank to restore its original level.

In order to give access to this space, the platform may be subdivided into peripherally spaced flat construction ele ments, such as concrete slabs or metal plates, which are fixedly emplaced and separated by removably interposed inserts of a generally similar shape.

The above and other features of the invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of part of a swimming pool embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional detail view taken on the line IIII of FIG. 1; 7

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing a modification of the right-hand portion of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 4-8 are fragmentary sectional views showing other modifications in the structure of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 shows the basic structure of a swimming pool according to the present invention. The pool comprises a .tank formed by sidewalls l rising from a frame-shaped foundation 4 which is partly embedded in the soil at the floor of an excavation, this floor being overlain by the tank bottom 2 which may be a concrete layer integral with the foundation 4. In its horizontal outline the tank 1, 2 may be rectangular, oval, kidney-shaped or of any other suitable configuration.

Around the periphery of the tank the floor of the excavation rises gently upwardly at 3 to approximately the level of the upper edge of sidewalls 1. At that level the floor 3 encounters a sunkensill 8, here shown to be of concrete, which surrounds the entire tank at a more or less constant distance. The sidewalls l are braced against this sill 8 with the aid of a set of slabs 7 forming a generally horizontal platform around the pool substantially at the upper level of the tank. As best seen in FIG. 2, the slabs 7 are separated over part of their length to form clearances for removable inserts 7a, here shown as metal plates with recessed hand grips 7b, which can be lifted off their seats to give access to the underlying space. The peripheral array of slabs 7 and inserts 7a forms a continuous walkway around the pool. The ends 24 of the slabs 7 proximal to the tank walls 1 are bent downwardly to form a sloping run-off surface for overflowing water or precipitation. These end portions rest on the upper edges of 1 walls l by means of peripherally spaced teeth or crenellations 15 which bear upon the upper angle of an apron 5, here shown as a double-bent sheet-metal profile, seated by its lower angle on the wall 1. Spacers l4 wedged in between an upstanding lip 5a of this profile and the inner slab edges form gaps through which water from the sloping slab surface may flow along the outer surface of apron 5 into a drain via a trough 6 extending externally along the tank wall. Slab portion 24 has depending bosses 9 which extend partly into the trough 6 and are fixed in be temporarily transferred into that space and subsequently position relative thereto by wedge pieces 12; stays ll spanning the trough walls serve as supports for these wedge pieces. The profiles 5 seated on the sidewalls 1 form a frame inwardly offset from the outer tank edges, as clearly shown in FIG. 1.

'The outer end of each slab 7 is formed with a bottom rib 10 received in a slightly wider groove of sill 8 with interposition of wedge pieces 36 to form a rigid joint therebetween. The slabs may also be formed with triangular webs 13 bearing laterally upon the top of the sill 8 to strengthen the connectlon.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the joint just described may be modified by fitting the top of a sill 8 between ribs 10a, 10b of a slab 7, again with interposition of wedge pieces 36a, 36b. Webs 13 may be provided in this case as integral reinforcements between the inner rib 10a and the body of the slab.

FIG. 1 also shows a duct 23 horizontally suspended from slabs 7 by means of straps 22. Duct 23 is connected with the interior of the tank through a conduit 26 including a valve 27 and'may also be provided with a pump (not shown) for filling or draining the tank; it will be understood that different ducts of this type may be provide for filling and draining, respectively.

The sloping floor 3 is shown lined with a fluidtight layer 18 which allows the space thereabove to be used as an ancillary water receptacle. A pipe 26a, containing a reversible pump 27a, is shown to lead from the interior of tank 1, 2 into the surrounding space so that a part of the water from the tank may retransferred. Such transfer could also be carried out, with the aid of the aforementioned pumps in the supply or drainage system, through an outlet from duct 23.

To help controlling the temperature of the waterin the tank, pipes 25 for the circulation of a heating fluid are shown embedded in the platform in the vicinity of tank walls 1. Drainage pipes 37a, 3717 are laid in the gravel bed beneath the foundation and tank bottom to help remove residual water.

' FIG. 4 illustrates a modified apron 5' seated at the top of a tank wall 1' to which a trough 6 is secured with the aid of hooks 19 (only one shown). Trough 6' is seen to be somewhat inclined to let the collected water, run off toward a drain, not show-n, either within'or outside the space surrounding the wall 1'. i

, Slab portion 24 is braced against apron 5. by wedge pieces 14' and lugs or teeth 15', the latter being bracketed by the apron 5' with the aid of upstanding pins 17.

In FIG. 5 a profile 5" seated atop the wall 1", braced against slab portion 24 by'spacers'14" and lugs 15", forms a somewhat resilient seating for the associated slabs. These slabs are additionally supported by blocks 20 which rest on an extension 21 of profile 5 forming an overflow trough.

In the construction of FIG. 6, where the tank has a bottom 102 and a peripheral foundation 104' supporting sidewalls 101,

an apron 105 forms a run-off lip 1050 at a level above a trough 106 which is here shown to rest directly on the excavation floor but whichmay also be somewhat elevated and sloping (e.g. as shown in FIG. 4); filling and/or draining of the tank is carried out through one or more conduits 127 leading to suspended ducts not shown. In this embodiment, the upper edges of tank walls 101 are beveled, as are the toothed slab edges 115 bearing thereon, so that the weight of the platform exerts an inwardly acting component upon the tank walls to brace them againstthe water pressure.

In FIG. 7 a tank 201, 202, 204, shown to be metallic, is joined to a metallic platform 207 by screws 31-, again with interposition of spacing elements 214,215 and an apron 205v which is here integral with an, overflow trough 206. The outer peripheral edge of platform 207, which here may also consist of an array of fixedplates separated by removable plates as described above with reference to elements 7 and 7a, rests on a set of sunken posts 29 with'individual pedestals 30. The connection between the platform 207 and the posts 29 is 'made' rigid with the aid of screws 32. The tops of the posts 29 are additionally connected with the foundation 204 through diagonally extending tie members in the form of cables 33, 34 which are tensioned by a turnbuckle 35. This arrangement provides a statically stable system even if the excavation accommodating the pool is of irregular contour so as to lack the stiffening effect of the sloping floor shown in FIG. 1.

Q In a modification illustrated in FIG. 8, slab portion 24" rests on the through 6" by way of lugs 15" and bears horizontally upon the wall 1" through spacers 14"; profile 5" is partly masked by an embankment 38 which may serve as a seating surface for bathers.

The provision of an overflow trough'within the surrounding space. as shown and described above, prevents the softening of the. ground around the tank foundation by water which could otherwise penetrate through cracks within the platform, or between the latter and the tank walls, and accumulate within the excavation. The interception of the backwash by an upstanding lip 5a of the tank wall prevents the contamination of the pool by dirt swept off the walkway constituted by the surrounding platform. The latter purpose makes the use of an overflow trough desirable even in the case where, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the excavation bottom is lined with a fluidtight layer. The water collected in the troughs may be discharged into the same drainage system which receives the contents of the pool after prolonged use.

Naturally, metallic tank walls and platforms (e.g. of aluminum) could also be used in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 6 and 8, 'in lieu of the concrete element shown there; layer 18 of FIG. 1 may likewise be replaced bya metallic strip. Insome instances, plastic materials can be substituted for metal.

The. removable inserts 7a of FIGS. 1 and 2 could be rcplaced byfull-length slabs or plates of concrete, metal or 0 er material alternating with fixedly emplaced elements 7 of similar rectangular or trapezoidal shape.

1. A swimming pool comprising a tank with a foundation resting on the bottom of an excavation in the soil and with sidewalls rising from said foundation;

bracing means spacedly'surrounding said tank while being sunk in the soil along the periphery of said excavation;

an annular platform encircling said tank substantially at the level of the upper edges of said sidewalls; I profiled frame means positively engaging said upper edges, said platform bearing inwardly upon said sidewalls through said frame means and outwardly upon said bracing means, said platform overlying a largely empty peripheral space with a floor rising from substantially the level of said foundation to the top of said bracing means; and

trough means in said peripheral space, said platform contacting said frame means at spaced locations for enabling overflowing water to enter said trough means, said frame means comprising sheet-metal aprons extending toward said trough means from the upper surface of said platform.

2. A swimming pool defined in claim 1 wherein said floor is a fluidtight layer resting on the sloping soil around said tank, further comprising fluid circulation means for transferring water between said tank and said peripheral space.

3. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1, further comprising duct means suspended from said platform in said peripheral space, said duct means communicating with the interior of said tank for filling and draining same.

4. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper surface of said platform slopes downwardly toward said tank in the vicinity of said sidewalls, said aprons having upstanding lips separated fromsaid platform by gaps for the passage of water flowing back toward the tank on said upper surface.

5. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1 wherein said platform comprises a peripheral array of fixedly emplaced, at least partly separated construction elements and inserts removably interposed between said elements to give access to said peripheral space.

6. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1, further comprising tie means diagonally interconnecting said foundation and the top of said bracing means.

7. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1, further comprising heating means imbedded in said platform.

8. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1 wherein the profile of said frame means forms a first angle resting on said upper edges and an oppositely oriented second angle receiving the inner peripheral edge of said platform. 

1. A swimming pool comprising a tank with a foundation resting on the bottom of an excavation in the soil and with sidewalls rising from said foundation; bracing means spacedly surrounding said tank while being sunk in the soil along the periphery of said excavation; an annular platform encircling said tank substantially at the level of the upper edges of said sidewalls; profiled frame means positively engaging said upper edges, said platform bearing inwardly upon said sidewalls through said frame means and outwardly upon said bracing means, said platform overlying a largely empty peripheral space with a floor rising from substantially the level of said foundation to the top of said bracing means; and trough means in said peripheral space, said platform contacting said frame means at spaced locations for enabling overflowing water to enter said trough means, said frame means comprising sheet-metal aprons extending toward said trough means from the upper surface of said platform.
 2. A swimming pool defined in claim 1 wherein said floor is a fluidtight layer resting on the sloping soil around said tank, further comprising fluid circulation means for transferring water between said tank and said peripheral space.
 3. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1, further comprising duct means suspended from said platform in said peripheral space, said duct means communicating with the interior of said tank for filling and draining same.
 4. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1 wherein the upper surface of said platform slopes downwardly toward said tank in the vicinity of said sidewalls, said aprons having upstanding lips separated from said platform by gaps for the passage of water flowing back toward the tank on said upper surface.
 5. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1 wherein said platform comprises a peripheral array of fixedly emplaced, at least partly separated construction elements and inserts removably interposed between said elements to give access to said peripheral space.
 6. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1, further comprising tie means diagonally interconnecting said foundation and the top of said bracing means.
 7. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1, further comprising heating means imbedded in said platform.
 8. A swimming pool as defined in claim 1 wherein the profile of said frame means forms a first angle resting on said upper edges and an oppositely oriented second angle receiving the inner peripheral edge of said platform. 